KEY POINTS:
Every game between Auckland City and Waitakere United has been a cracker. Sunday's fourth-round New Zealand Football Championship feature will be no different.
By a strange quirk, City have to travel almost into enemy territory to their home away from home at the Croatian Cultural Society for the
next chapter in the league's most endearing derby.
As early pacesetters and given their record in games between the two clubs, City will start as favourites. At their new home they have been impressive with a rejuvenated Brian Little, with great support from Chad Coombes, leading the charge.
Coaches Colin Tuaa and Chris Milicich were not involved in last season's long off-field wrangle which in the end reversed the on-field result and handed United their first "win".
While Tuaa and Milicich had no part of that, several players who were involved have since changed camps. Neil Sykes, captain at City last term, Paul Seaman, Jason Hayne and Jonathan Perry have switched their allegiances while Rupesh Puna, Jeff Campbell, George Suri and Craig Wylie have gone in the other direction.
Puna and Campbell are set to start on Sunday but, with an almost fully fit squad to select from, Tuaa is likely to leave Suri and Wylie out.
Grant Young, troubled by a shoulder injury and then a knock to his head, has missed the last couple of games but is ready to return.
"It was nice to keep a clean sheet against Canterbury," said Tuaa. "Really I can't see much need for change but there could be one or two.
"I thought we played our best football in the first half an hour - and went two goals ahead - but the intensity dropped a little as we tried to become a bit more ambitious. I made some changes midway through the second spell and things picked up again.
"Overall, we are in pretty good nick and looking forward to this one."
So is Milicich.
Fully aware of what lies ahead on his team's forthcoming foray in Japan, Milicich insists there will be no slacking.
"We are facing a big fight up there against a very good Iranian side. All 11 of their players can play. We will need a 100 per cent effort to stay with them," said Milicich. "If my players don't play properly in the two games before we go, they won't be playing there.
"We need a totally in-form team and the only way the players can say 'pick me' is to play well against Auckland City and then YoungHeart Manawatu. It is brilliant that we are playing teams like them in what should be quality games before we go to Japan.
"We have to give everything to have any chance on Sunday.
"It is kind of weird that here we have what would normally be the biggest game of the season - a real derby clash - but we are thinking about something much bigger," said Milicich.
"The good thing is that we have two teams who want to get out and play football."
City are well-served in midfield by Campbell and Korean star Ki-Hyung Lee which in turn has led to good go-forward by fullbacks James Pritchett and Puna who have linked well with Little and Coombes. Opposing defences have had little respite.
United's back four - Darren Bazeley, Danny Hay, Perry and Sykes - will be the most experienced they will confront this season. That battle alone will be worth the price of admission.
Chris Bale, buoyed by his first goal of the season in Christchurch, continues to pick up his game in the United midfield while Hayne and Allan Pearce have worked tirelessly on the flanks.
The ingredients are all there.
Top referee Peter O'Leary will ensure there is no repeat of Neil Fox's fiasco when the two sides met at Kiwitea St last season and he flashed a record 19 cards. Both sides have it all to play for - including banishing the bogey for United of not having beaten City on the field of play.